


Be Slow to Fall into Friendship

by DragonTamerM



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Cameo appearances by other characters, Epilogue: Xenoblade Chronicles Future Connected, Epilogue: Xenoblade Chronicles Future Connected Spoilers, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonTamerM/pseuds/DragonTamerM
Summary: "Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant." (Socrates)
Relationships: Melia Ancient | Melia Antiqua/Dunban
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Balance

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then it started growing all over the place and I had no choice but to let the characters do what they needed. It may be considered an AU, since the main pairing is not canonical, but it is set in canon, so I did not tag it.  
> It's going to be four chapters, with a tiny little extra before the final one, published over the next four weeks.  
> This work has been betaed by the amazing [ TheRoseDuelist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseDuelist/pseuds/TheRoseDuelist). Without her help, I would have abandoned it. She guided me, encouraged me and helped me every step of the way.  
> Every mistake you may find is mine, because I am still a dummy, even when I have a great beta.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ps. I don't know if I should tag it, but Dunban is sober (as in he does not drink at all anymore) in this fic. It comes up very briefly a couple of times and I wanted to make it clear, so that if anyone is uncomfortable with my choice they can leave right away. If you are curious about the reasons why I did it, leave a comment and ask away! I am always happy to talk about my favourite characters lol

Meetings had never been something Dunban particularly enjoyed. He could tolerate them when they were about the more military aspects of the Colony and he remembered he actually almost liked quick strategic briefings before battles when he was younger, but listening to Jer'ell go on and on about some chemical gibberish and the many ingredients she would need to produce it was definitely too much for him.

He feigned interest, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen as she gave her presentation, but he had to admit that his mind was not completely on the matter.

As the scientist finished her speech and asked the audience for questions, Dunban blinked and let his eyes roam around the table of the meeting room.

Linada and Vanea had their heads buried in a tablet, going back over Jer'ell's presentation, probably. He had a strong suspicion that they were the only ones who really understood what she had been going on about.

Juju seemed on the verge of falling asleep face down on the table. The boy had certainly grown a lot and it was true that he had a lot of experience from having planned Colony 6's reconstruction completely on his own, but he was still only fifteen and Dunban felt a wave of compassion as he watched him massage his temples, trying to keep himself focused.

Otharon was scratching his stubbled chin, keeping his eyes on the number-ridden page Jer'ell had left on the screen, likely lost in thoughts and calculations.

Finishing his round, his eyes fell on Melia, the last member of their little council, sitting in front of him. Usually the perfect image of impassivity, now she had her lips slightly pursed, as she squinted to review the data on her tablet. A smile curved Dunban's lips. She seemed to have been adapting well enough to her role as a consultant for the technological development of the city. Her education as a ruler and her knowledge of High Entia technology was proving to be invaluable for them. Noticing his gaze on her, she smiled and gave an imperceptible nod towards Jer'ell, as if to invite him to pay attention. He put on a serious expression and turned his face towards the screen, throwing Melia a grin when she hid her laugh at his immature behaviour in a cough.

“And have you thought about where you could obtain such resources?” Otharon was asking.

“The exploration teams are all out at the moment. We cannot spare anyone else.” Interjected Juju.

“Well,” Jer'ell started, “I cannot deny that the easiest way to do it would be to get back to the labs in Alcamoth. If they are not destroyed, the notes and the provisions there would be more than enough-”

“That is impossible,” Melia intervened, “even if Alcamoth hasn't been submerged by the sea when the Bionis fell, it is probably still infested by Telethia. We cannot risk such a mission, not yet.” 

“How about your laboratory at the former site of Colony 6? That should be easy enough to reach.” Dunban observed, hoping to steer the conversation away from the former capital of the Empire. He stole a look at Melia, who was looking back at him with intense gratitude and even gave him a nod to acknowledge his help. 

“That would not be enough for what we need, not in the slightest. I still hadn't managed to transfer everything I needed when the Telethia awoke and attacked. If the production of these medicines is so urgent, we need to reach Alcamoth.” The scientist insisted.

“I have already told you, Jer'ell, it is too soon to plan-” Melia started, her voice sounding a little less firm than before.

“But Your Highness-” Jer'ell started objecting but then stopped talking abruptly, as everyone around the table turned to look at Melia.

The fact that Melia, the young High Entia who had travelled with Shulk, was actually Melia Antiqua, heir to the Imperial throne of Alcamoth, was a bit of an open secret between the High Entia residing at the Colony. Still, everyone knew not to call her by her title.

An icy atmosphere descended on the meeting room, and Dunban could tell Melia was struggling to keep her emotions in check, eyebrows knit together and wings lowered and tense.

_That won't do_ , Dunban thought. He knew that she viewed Alcamoth as a symbol of her failures, but he had hoped that, as some said, time would heal. If anything, though, she was getting worse. While he could understand her reasons, he still thought it was unfair that she should still carry so much guilt. She desperately needed some kind of closure.

“Do not call me that.” She paused, closing her eyes for a second, before looking back at Jer'ell. “As Juju said before, we have no teams ready for exploration. This will have to wait.” Her voice strained, Melia lowered her gaze to the tablet in front of her, breathing a bit harder than normal.

“Thank you for your report, Jer'ell. We will reconvene soon enough when at least one or two explorations teams are back. I'm sure we'll find a solution.” Dunban said, exchanging a look with Otharon, imploring him to adjourn the meeting.

“Indeed, I think that would be best. Meeting adjourned in three days!” Otharon stated and stood up from his chair. Jer'ell muttered an apology and all but fled the room, probably embarrassed at her mistake, and everyone else slowly picked up their stuff to leave the Reconstruction HQ. Melia did not move at all, jaw clenched and mouth set in a grim line, gaze fixed somewhere in front of her. 

Dunban did his best to take the longest to collect his things, so when Otharon finally dragged Juju away and everyone had left, he poured a glass of water and went to sit beside Melia, placing the glass in front of her.

Upon noticing him, she gave him a strained smile and picked up the glass to take a sip.  
“Thank you, for earlier... for suggesting to end the meeting.” She whispered, her voice weirdly raucous.

“Don't mention it... Jer'ell should have known better.” He commented.

“Actually I believe it is my fault. I am still a bit... I believe Sharla would say touchy. Is that right?”

“She would say that yeah... but I don't think you are touchy at all. Your feelings are more than understandable.” Dunban tried to reassure her.

Melia hummed in response, still pensive.

“Are you done for the day?” he asked after a while since she seemed to be lost in thought.  
“Yes, thankfully. I don't know if I would have had it in me to keep working.” She answered, rising from her seat and straightening her dress. She then turned towards him. “Did you have something in mind?” she questioned.

He was glad she asked because it had become some sort of a tradition for them in the past year: whenever they had a particularly hard day at work they would spend the final part of the afternoon walking around the city, drinking something at the beach - no alcohol though, Melia always made sure he wasn't tempted - or simply watching the view from Outlook Park reminiscing or dreaming about the future in their new world. Often they stayed out for dinner as well, crowning their outings with some of the delicious food the Colony had to offer.

“Now that you make me think about it, we could snatch some drinks on the way to Outlook Park and then get some curry from Giorgio's on the way back home. We'll stop by and let Fiora know we're buying take out tonight, so she doesn't need to cook...” he raised his eyebrows questioningly at her, testing if he was reading her desires correctly.

She had her eyes closed, and a small smile on her lips, and she looked as if she were savouring his idea. “Mh, Dunban, you are a genius. How do you always know what I need?” She asked.

He shrugged, stood up, and picked up her stuff from the table. 

“What can I say, I am just that good.”

When she answered with just an enigmatic smile he continued, “So, shall we?”

He would have liked to offer her his arm, but since he was holding their tablets and notes in his left hand, that wouldn't have been comfortable for him. She surprised him by walking around him and taking his right hand. He could not say he felt much, but he managed to slightly curve his fingers around her hand and she seemed satisfied with that, judging from the small smile that appeared on her face.

Upon reaching the Ether Light, they separated as he went home to inform Fiora about dinner and she went to find them something to drink. He ran up the stairs of the porch two at a time and quickly entered to drop the tablets and get his cloak, not wanting to leave Melia waiting around with their drinks alone.

He found Fiora and Sharla sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by books.

“Everything alright?” he asked, noticing Sharla's tense face.

“Oh, hi Dunban, sorry for the invasion,” Sharla blurted out, “I'll take the books and move to my room.”

“No, please, I'm heading out again right away. And Fiora, there's no need to cook, I'll grab curry for everyone later.”

Sharla was studying to become a full-fledged doctor and everyone was very proud of her, but her studies of the Machina physiology were proving to be quite taxing.  
Sharla gave him a thankful smile, burying her nose back in her books right away, but he noticed that Fiora was studying him suspiciously. 

“You alright, Fiora? Should I get you the usual from Giorgio for dinner?” he asked, hand on the doorknob, ready to get out again.

Fiora interlaced her fingers behind her head, elbows raised high, reclining back in her chair.

“Of course, thank you...” she answered slowly, “Enjoy your date with Melia!” she added.

Sharla coughed but kept her gaze firmly on her books.

“It is not a date, we're just going for a drink.” He muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment at the suggestion.

“Po-tay-to po-tah-to!” Fiora enunciated proudly, smiling as if he had just proved her point.

Finding himself unable to produce a smart retort, he simply levelled Fiora with a stern stare and exited the house quickly, maybe slamming the door a bit too hard.

Why Fiora had to embarrass him like that, in front of Sharla too, was beyond him. Just because he spent most of his free time with Melia did not mean they went on dates. They had simply grown closer as time went by because they were working together so much. Obviously spending time together had helped them develop their friendship even more, it was only natural. And what if he had been developing a slight crush on her? It wasn't any of Fiora's business. Or Sharla's, for that matter.

Of course, calling his feelings for Melia a crush seemed stupid, they weren't kids. As it was stupid to call what they did together dates. They were just friends. He was deep in these thoughts as he reached the entrance of the Colony, where Melia was waiting for him with two cups.

She handed him one of them and he peeked under the lid to check the contents of it.

“What did you get me today?” he asked, sniffing it.

“Fizzy Lassi obviously!” she answered almost smugly.

“And you say I am the genius!” He sighed, making her smile, oh how he liked her smile... “Let's go then!” he finished, nodding towards the path to the park.

They walked side by side in silence, stealing a sip from their drinks from time to time. They reached the park and found that their favourite bench was luckily free, so they sat and took in the view of the ocean surrounding the Colony and the fallen Bionis.

Their silences were usually very comfortable, but Dunban noticed that Melia seemed restless, playing with her hair and wings, looking at her drink more than actually drinking it, stealing looks at him from time to time. She was probably still shaken by the discussion at the meeting from that afternoon. He started digging in his brain for the right words to say to her. He did not like seeing her distressed like this, it reminded him of when they barely knew each other, when she was always so tense around them, never letting her guard down except with Riki.

“I am sorry for what happened earlier...” he whispered. He knew she was proud and would not want his pity, but maybe letting her talk about it and vent could work.

“I already told you, it is quite alright... I should not have reacted the way I did. It was unprofessional.” she said, sighing.

“I'm sure everyone understood.” 

“Somehow that does not ease my worries. It was still a sign of weakness.” She observed bitterly.

“The war has left all of us with more weaknesses and scars than we had before,” he noticed her eyes go to his right hand and arm, “It is nothing to be ashamed of, you know?” 

She put down her drink and took his right hand in hers like she had done many times to try and ease his pain with her magic, but somehow now it felt different, at least for him.

“I wish I had your strength.” she breathed, tracing one of his scars with her fingers.

“I could say the same. I'd say you are the strongest person I know, and I know quite a few,” he answered, keeping his eyes on her fingers.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

“Maybe you have misjudged me...” her fingers stilled and she lifted her eyes to look at him.

“I'll have you know that except for a few unfortunate instances I am a very good judge of character!” He knew that alluding to Mumkhar and Dickson's betrayals might be dangerous because it could bring up some of Melia's saddest memories, but usually a good dose of his self deprecating humour worked wonders on her mood, shifting the focus of the conversation on his flaws rather than her nonexisting ones.

Plus, at that point in time, he was pretty sure he knew where her boundaries were regarding the events of the war. They had started helping each other digest their losses a long time ago, when they had first reached the Fallen Arm and discovered Metal Face's wreckage. Since then, they had grown so used to seeking each other's comfort that Melia had been the one at his side, literally holding his hand while he watched the picture on his nightstand burn in his house's fireplace one night, before helping him put a new one in place, taken the day Fiora had come out of the Regeneration Chamber.

The laugh she gifted him was in fact more humorous than sad, and he felt her squeeze his right hand before leaving it to pick her drink back up. 

“You are right, you have made some grave mistakes in the past,” she said, eyes still glinting with laughter despite her serious words, “but they were in good faith and... I am glad you don't think I am one of them.”

He smiled and nodded, as he watched her relax back on the bench, letting her eyes slip closed to shield them from the burning light of the setting sun.

Finally content with the comfortable mood he had managed to set, Dunban relaxed as well, enjoying the view and the feeling of Melia's presence at his side. 

When the sun had almost completely disappeared behind the Bionis' shoulder and the sea breeze got a bit chillier, he silently slipped his cloak around Melia's shoulders. She lazily opened her eyes and held the cloak closely around her body to shield herself from the wind. He wished there was more time to let her rest after the difficult day, but as the sun was setting, Shulk, Reyn, and Riki were probably starting to raid the kitchen looking for food, and who knew what they would do if they didn't find any.

“It's time, Melia, we have to go. We don't want Riki and Reyn to destroy the house in a hunger fit.” He whispered.

“Five more minutes...” she said in a monotone voice closing her eyes again.

“Now you sound like Fiora. Thankfully you don't share a room with her anymore, she has a bad influence on you!” he commented standing up and collecting their empty cups to go throw them in a bin.

“I was never allowed to say things like that when I was younger, you should let me enjoy my new freedom!” she joked.

He laughed and she opened her eyes to look at him, surprised. She stared at him for a few seconds, until he started feeling self-conscious and cleared his voice to distract her.

“So we're having dinner with the others?” she asked, gently stretching her neck.

“Yeah... I thought that was the plan. Grab some takeout and have dinner at home with the others.” Dunban answered, a bit confused.

“Of course, I just wanted to be sure.” she smiled at him, though he had the impression that she sounded almost disappointed by something. He dismissed it as disappointment for having to get up and walk back home since she had seemed to like the plan when they talked about it earlier.

She straightened her back and looked at him expectantly from her seat on the bench.

He bowed slightly before offering her his left arm.

“May I escort you to dinner, your Ladyship?”

“Since you asked so nicely, I cannot refuse.” she stood up, dusted off her dress, and straightened his cloak on her shoulders before looping her right arm in his.

As they descended the stairs towards the colony, he admitted to himself that he took no small pride in the fact that he was the only one allowed to joke about her former social status. Not that he would ever do it in front of anyone else, but it was like having a private joke with her, something that was only for them to share. It was one of those things that made him feel like maybe, just maybe, she could share his interest, at least in some small way.


	2. Slip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2 of this little thing! One of the scenes in this chapter is the first one that came into my mind before the fic started growing left and right.  
> As usual, many thanks to [ TheRoseDuelist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseDuelist/pseuds/TheRoseDuelist) for helping me navigating the pains and joys of writing! Every mistake you may find is mine.  
> I hope you enjoy!

The view from the porch really was amazing at night. Overlooking the bay, the lights from the Colony shone on the water from behind the house giving it a warm light, while the body of the fallen Bionis gave the horizon a unique, striking profile.

Dunban often spent time there, after dinner, sitting on a wooden bench, drinking tea, and watching the sea surrounding their new land, and that day was no different. 

He actually had a bit more time than usual to relax, since take out dinners meant less tidying up as Fiora's cooking, especially now that five more Homs and a handful of Nopon lived with them.

After the battle against Zanza, he had found that he had no choice but to heed Riki's advice and build a bigger house for him and Fiora. After all, it's not like Shulk, Melia, Sharla, Reyn, Juju, and Riki himself had anywhere else to go.

So he had worked and built, with the help of Shulk and Reyn, and now his house had become some sort of refuge for war heroes, with many bedrooms and balconies and even a Nopon home for Riki, Oka, and all their littlepons on the highest terrace.

Dunban sighed, suppressing a laugh at how his life had changed in the past year. Not just because of the battle against Zanza, but also because of his new... family? Was that the right word?

Fiora was his sister and it had never been a question whether they would go back to their house after the war. She had been worried for a while, because of her appearance, but Linada and Melia had solved that problem with the High Entia Regeneration Chamber. It had taken six months. Six months of Shulk looking like a caged feris and Dunban being worried sick, but Fiora had come back to life again, with her Homs body.

Shulk and Reyn had always felt a bit like younger brothers. Maybe because they had been Fiora's best friends for so long, spending more time at Dunban's than at their respective houses, but it had been weirdly natural for them to move in after the war.

Sharla definitely acted like the mum of the group at times, being the responsible one, but for Dunban she was more like a sister. Not like Fiora, that he had raised, but like one closer to his age. He had also come to value Riki as a friend, since there was definitely a lot more to the Nopon than what met the eye, so he had been a welcomed addition to the family as well. 

And then there was Melia. She was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, as were the feelings that she elicited in him. He certainly thought of her as a friend and respected her as both a leader and a fighter, not to mention as a colleague and as an invaluable asset for the reconstruction of the Colony. Sometimes he had to scold himself for noticing other details about her. Like how he loved the way the sun made her blue eyes shine, or how her smile made him smile as well, or how good she looked when she came out of her room in the morning, looking for coffee, gracing him with the real, unmasked version of herself before she slipped right back into her political persona when they reached the HQ...

Dunban sighed, letting the fresh sea breeze clear his mind. No matter what she was for him, he was happy to have her as well, together with the rest of the group. And that was the important thing. The tingling sensation he felt when she touched him, the knots in his stomach every time she smiled at him, and the flames he had to smother when she wore his cloak over her dresses were inconsequential.

Starting to feel tired, he finished his tea and went back inside to finish tidying up the kitchen. The others had gone out after dinner, except for Riki and Melia, who were already asleep, so he would have to be extra careful not to make any noise. Thankfully there wasn't as much as usual to do, just a couple of glasses and dishes to wash and remnants of the big take-out dinner to store away.

As he slowly washed the dishes, doing so silently, and with one hand it wasn't the easiest task, he started wondering if there was something he could do to help Melia. He had managed to help her relax after the meeting, but he knew her situation required something a bit more long term. He would obviously try to be at her side whenever she needed him, but he was starting to believe that time was running out if she wanted to get rid of her survivor's guilt regarding her people.

He had been convinced for a while now that the only solution would be for her to visit Alcamoth herself and cleanse her heart from the guilt by helping possible survivors or saying goodbye to her past once and for all, but how he could tell her without causing her to completely shut him out was beyond him.

As he was drying up the dishes, thoughts focused on possible ways to help Melia, he heard sounds coming from her room. Worried that she would not get her much needed rest after her stressful afternoon, he took a few steps towards her door to listen. He noticed it was her voice, but the words were unintelligible. He knew she had nightmares since Fiora had shared a room with her for a while and had let the information slip, but he had never witnessed one for himself. 

Believing that not waking her up would allow it to escalate into something worse — for him it had always been that way — he opened the door to her room and gently called her name. She didn't seem to hear him, still muttering anxiously in her sleep. He walked closer to her bed and called her again, his voice a little higher this time.

“NO!” She screamed, sitting up on her bed and lifting her left hand towards him and the door.

He barely had time to dodge the golden stream of ether coming from her extended arm. The beam went straight out of the door and dispersed before causing any serious damage to the house. Blinking to let his eyes get used to the darkened room again, he looked at her.

“F-Forgive me... Did I hurt you?” She asked, looking around her room, confused, bringing her hand back to her chest.

“And they say you cannot dodge ether attacks...” he answered with a smile and a wink. She looked at her hands, still mortified, despite his attempt to lighten the mood. “It's alright... Sometimes I react in a similar way when I am woken up from a nightmare... you were having a nightmare, weren't you?” he asked, sitting on the chair at her desk.

“Did anyone else hear me scream?” she inquired, avoiding his question.

“I doubt it, the others aren't back yet and Riki is two floors up...” he answered calmly.

He stole a look at her, as she gazed out the window. She seemed lost and restless, wringing her fingers and trying to regulate her breath as her wings fluttered with each shaky inhale. He felt like despite the time they spent together she was still closer to Riki and maybe Sharla, so she would probably feel more comfortable with them, but they were not available and he didn't want to leave her alone. He knew nightmares, he had his fair share even now, and he knew that sleep often evaded him after.

“You know... I can never go back to sleep right away after I have a nightmare. I can make us some tea and we can go sit outside, get some air.”

She lifted her gaze towards him. He didn't like the anguish and distress in her eyes, but he could see a glint of gratitude pass over her features.

“I... I think tea would be nice... I do not feel like going back to sleep right now after...” she started, but then she stopped talking again as if she had lost her train of thoughts.

“Let's go then.” He said, rising from the chair and extending his left hand to her. She let her right hand slip into his, as he pulled her to her feet and escorted her to the kitchen. He was glad that she finally felt comfortable enough for casual touches with him. She had changed a lot since they first met, when Shulk had gotten a slap across his face for touching her shoulder while helping her up. Now she seemed to seek physical contact pretty often, at least with him.

They waited for the water to boil and the tea to brew in comfortable silence, sitting at the kitchen table. After he poured two cups, they walked back outside to sit on the porch. He was almost convinced she would say nothing about her nightmares, just enjoying not being alone, but after a couple of minutes, she started speaking.

“I always dream of the same thing. I always dream of Alcamoth.” Her voice was low and uncertain as if she wasn't sure of how he would react. 

Dunban could have bet that her nightmares had something to do with her people. After all, her experience during the war had probably been the most traumatic out of all of theirs. She was the one who had lost the most. Plus, after the way she had reacted that afternoon at the mention of her hometown and her title... well, it didn't really take a genius to figure it out. 

He turned a bit to take a peek at her, but her untied hair concealed most of her face.

“I dream of my people, in Alcamoth. Some are still Telethia, some are back to their original forms... others are eaten up by a dark, shapeless entity. They all call to me, but I can never save them.”

Her voice now sounded flat, but he could tell by the slight shake in her hands and wings that even just recounting her dreams made her deeply distressed. She put her cup down on the ground and clasped her hands together.

“I failed them. I failed them all, Dunban. My father, my brother, all of my people. They placed such high hopes in me... but I left all of them to die.” She turned to look at him, and he could finally see the storm in her eyes, shiny with unshed tears.

He took one of her hands in his and fixed his eyes in hers.

“Do not say such things, Melia. You fought a God for them, and won.” He could understand her tragedy, he knew that she had not saved everyone, especially those closest to her, but he would not let her discount everything she had done. The miracle they had accomplished together. “You granted many High Entia a prosperous future. You saved so many people...”

She squeezed her eyes shut and tears finally escaped down her cheeks, as she shook her head as if to contradict him. 

Then he did something that could have been risky and earned him a nice slap at some point in the past. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She quickly hid her face in the crook of his neck and he felt her tears wet his shirt. It wasn't the most comfortable hug, since they were sitting side by side and he really only had one usable arm, but she seemed to melt into it easily enough, letting her arms sneak around his waist. He leaned his cheek over her head and closed his eyes. As he felt her shoulders and wings tremble in time with her small sobs, for the briefest moment he thought of placing a kiss over her hair. He didn't want to risk spooking her though, so he didn't move. After a few moments, he felt her hands push against his chest and let her go.

“I am so sorry, this is completely unacceptable...” she whispered, extracting herself fully from his embrace and drying the tears on her face with her knuckles in an almost violent way. He was almost disappointed that she still felt so uncomfortable manifesting some of her feelings in front of him. She had opened up a lot, just like he had, but letting herself cry like this was probably still a bit too much.

Dunban lifted both of his hands, the right one quite shakily, to catch her own and stop her from further torturing her face.

She looked at their joined hands, and then at his face. He gave her a small, encouraging smile and spoke.

“I know you wish you could have done more. I know the guilt will not probably leave you for a while yet, I have been there myself. Still, I cannot let you reject everything you have accomplished. You are a hero and an amazing leader.”

He tried to give his voice a firm and convincing tone. He had been told in the past by younger soldiers that he gave nice encouraging speeches, maybe he could use that talent to help Melia.

“You really believe that?” she asked, ever doubtful of her qualities, blinking away her tears.

“Most definitely.” he nodded, attempting a bigger smile.

She sighed, still looking conflicted but maybe just a little bit relieved at his words. Dunban wondered if maybe he had managed to reassure her enough that she would be ready to hear his advice about visiting Alcamoth. 

But then he noticed that she was really close, so close that he could count the darker specks of blue in her icy eyes. She looked down at his lips, drawing even closer. She let her eyes slip shut...

He found that he could not let her do it, not when she was so vulnerable. He could not deny that he had wanted this, but she was too important, too precious. And if this was meant to be, he wanted her to be happy when it happened.

“Melia, wait, I...” he started, raising his hand towards her cheek to stop her.

“Dunban!” they blasted apart as Fiora ran up the stairs of the porch towards the entrance of the house.

“Oh, sorry to interrupt...” Fiora said, looking curiously at her brother and Melia.

“No, it's fine, we were just...” Dunban tried to explain, waving his hand in front of his face and standing up, as Melia picked up her cup from the ground to hide her face behind it.

“I just wanted to pick up a jacket and I'll be gone again. It's getting chilly on the beach, but we wanted to stay a little longer.” Fiora explained, walking past them to go inside.

Dunban stole a look towards Melia and gestured for her to wait by holding up his hand, as he slipped into the house to follow Fiora. 

“It's okay, Fiora, really. You don't have to go if you were planning to stay here.” She looked at him sceptically, wearing her jacket and buttoning it up.

“Yeah yeah... I'm not five Dunban.” she singsonged. He felt a bit embarrassed. He knew what Fiora had seen, but he really was going to stop Melia. If only he could get Fiora to listen to him, to save at least Melia from the teasing...

“I'll leave you to it then!” Fiora said cheekily, marching right back out the door before he could say anything else.

“Have a lovely night Melia!” he heard her say. He rubbed his palm on his face. He loved Fiora more than himself, but sometimes she really made him mad.

As he walked back out seconds later, he found Melia slowly sipping her tea.

“Fiora seemed way too happy, for some reason.” She commented, tilting her head to the side and following Fiora's darkening shape with her gaze.

“Sometimes she's like that, and I wonder what went wrong while she was growing up. Then I remember that I'm the one who raised her and I understand.” Melia giggled at that. Her eyes were dry now, just a little bit puffier than normal, and she seemed calmer.

“You actually did an amazing job with her. She's a remarkable young woman. And you were so young when she was left in your care...”

He shrugged, and sat back beside her, looking at the sea.

“About earlier...” she started.

“Melia, I...” he began at the same time. They looked at each other, and she smiled.

“You first.” Melia encouraged him.

Dunban thought about what he was going to say. Against his own interest, there was only one way he could make this conversation go. It was now or never, and she needed his advice, maybe more than she knew.

“Forgive me for what I'm about to say, but... I think that maybe you should go back to Alcamoth.” He said. She looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face. If he had to give it a name, he would have said she was scared.

“What?” Was that disappointment in her voice? 

“I know it must be painful to hear, especially after everything that happened today, but... I think you need to go. To look for survivors, to find closure. To reclaim it, if you so desire.” he explained, firmly.

“I'm sure that Vanea and Miqol won't mind lending you Junks, and Shulk can pilot it easily enough. You could be back here in a day at most.” This was not going the way he had hoped. He should not be so detached as he tried to convince her...

“I have thought about going back there so many times...” she interjected, as her gaze wandered towards the shoulder of the Bionis, behind which the ruins of Alcamoth were probably hidden.

“You have?” Now it was his turn to sound a bit disappointed. Didn't she feel at home with them? 

“Why did you think I enjoyed the view from Outlook Park that much?” she asked sadly.

When he didn't answer, she continued.

“Do not misunderstand me. I love living here. I am grateful for your hospitality, for the job I have and for your friendship.” he noticed that she was slipping back into her political ways. It happened, sometimes, when she was embarrassed. But then her face softened as she turned back to look at him.

“You took me in and gave me a place to stay, you did not have to do it, but you did anyway. Sometimes it feels like I have a family and a home again.” She said with a nostalgic smile. He liked the idea of her feeling at home at his place. That was what he had always intended, after everything she had been through.

“But still, you are right. I cannot...” she stopped to take a deep breath, “I still have a duty towards the survivors, if there are any. It is one of the reasons why I reacted the way I did today, this guilt... And if you think it may give me closure, maybe I do have to go.”

“I think it may be the right thing to do to ease your heart. No High Entia you may find there knows who you really are. If what you find doesn't help or if it is too much to handle at the moment, you can come back here and never leave again. No one would blame you and I... I mean, we would be happy to have you back, I promise.”

She lifted her feet on the bench and hugged her knees, the cup of tea forgotten at her side. It was an unusually laid back pose for her, and Dunban found himself unable to look away.

Maybe he should offer to accompany her. After all, he didn't want to give the impression that he was sending her away, after what she had just confessed. 

He knew that she probably was under the impression that his suggestion had come out of nowhere. He should try to remedy that, make her understand his thought process better and reassure her that he was speaking as a friend who wanted to help her. He realised that the moment hadn't really been the best one to bring up his idea.

Melia had probably expected the conversation to go in a completely different direction, even despite Fiora's interruption.

If she had really been about to kiss him earlier, he had certainly ruined the mood for the evening by forcing her to face her trauma... but was he destroying even the friendship they had built, together with any hope of a relationship with her? He was about to try and save the situation, offering her his help on her quest, when she spoke again. 

“Yes. You are right. I have to go, otherwise, I will never stop feeling like a failure. I will talk to Vanea and Shulk tomorrow. After all, today's discussion could be a good excuse to justify my request and my offer to go there myself.” She said, standing up, back straight, a resolute look in her eyes.

She was really thinking about leaving. Dunban searched his brain for something to say, anything, to let her know that he wanted to go with her, that he would miss her, that he...

“Thank you, Dunban. For the tea, for the advice, for...” she lowered her gaze to the ground, almost bashful, “For everything.”

Then, as if some amazing idea had gone through her mind, she turned around, leaned down, and kissed his cheek, maybe a bit too close to the corner of his mouth and a bit too lingering to feel like just any other friendly goodnight. 

He cleared his voice, as she withdrew from him. “It was my pleasure... If I can help you in any other way, just let me know.”

She nodded and left. Shortly afterwards, he heard the door to her room click closed. The moment was gone, he hadn't offered his help, he had probably looked like a moron. Though he had to admit she really had seemed relieved in the end. Dunban ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the wall behind him.

It should feel like a victory, having convinced her to finally face her past, but Dunban still felt like he had dug a ridge between them and he didn't know how he could fill it.

He really did like her, however stupid or childish that sounded... Her courage was amazing, just like the way she never shied away from her responsibilities or from the dangers she may find in her path. It was inspiring, really. 

So he held on to that feeling of amazement and pride when the day after, at lunch, she informed him that she had talked to Vanea, that she and Shulk would leave the following morning at dawn on Junks and she was leaving HQ early to prepare for the trip.

He smothered the feeling of disappointment that threatened to rise from his chest at the fact that she had not asked for his company on her mission. After all, he hadn't offered and she was well aware that he was busy here at the colony.

If everything went well, she would be back in a little more than twelve hours, so he convinced himself that he should not think too much about it. 

Easier said than done, though, as the whole afternoon he could not focus on a single task of his work at the HQ, thinking of ways to interject her alone at home, without drawing too much attention from the others, and talk about it. While a part of him was panicking shamefully, another part of him kept reminding him that she wasn't leaving forever, that this was mainly a recon mission, and that she would be back in less than a day. 

Despite his best attempts to leave early and go back home at least in time for dinner, he was delayed by Colonel Vangarre and Rizaka, who needed his help to test some new weapons. When he was finally able to escape the military district and return home, Sharla informed him in a sour tone that Melia had already gone to bed.

Ignoring the suspicious looks everyone was sending his way, he tried to listen to the encouraging voice in his brain, telling him that it would be just a half-day trip, nothing major, to convince himself that everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and see you next week for Chapter 3: Fall!


	3. Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here goes chapter 3 :) This Sunday I'll upload a little silly thing to ease our way into the last chapter, that will be published next Thursday as usual.  
> Once more, all my gratitude to [ TheRoseDuelist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseDuelist/pseuds/TheRoseDuelist) for her amazing work as a beta reader! Every mistake you may find is mine.  
> I hope you enjoy :)

If Dunban said that his night had been peaceful, he would be a liar. He wasn't as rested as he would have liked, having spent hours wondering if he should just go wake Melia up and talk to her, before finally falling asleep quite late. Looking at himself in the bathroom mirror as he washed his face, he could see traces of his sleepless night written all over his features. Realizing that the worst had passed, that Melia had probably already left and she would be back before long, he felt slightly better.

“She'll come back tonight and everything will be fine.” He whispered to himself, trying to conjure the energy to go downstairs and face his day.

Coming down from his room for breakfast, Dunban found only Fiora sitting at the kitchen table in front of two cups of coffee. She was tapping her fingers, looking impatient, and he could tell that she was not happy about something.

“Did they leave already?” he asked, snatching up one of the cups and taking a sip of coffee.

Fiora's fingers stilled and she lifted her gaze to him. If looks could kill, Dunban would have been dead right there and then. Her green eyes, usually sweet and welcoming, were now almost closed in suspicious slits and her lips that smiled so often since she had come out of the Regeneration Chamber were pressed together in a thin line.

“Did they leave already?” she mocked in a deep voice, imitating her brother's tone. Dunban felt his eyes go wide and tilted his head inquisitively at his sister's appalling behaviour. What had he done now?

“Have you lost your mind, dear brother?” she hissed.

Now more and more confused, Dunban shrugged and answered slowly. “I do not think I have-”

“Then tell me what was going through your brain when you told Melia to leave!” Fiora finally exploded, interrupting him.

Was that what she thought? That he had told Melia to leave? Dunban was used to being the one with the answer and the solution, always on top of things, but now he felt like the victim of some prank.

“Fiora, I did not tell her to leave. I simply suggested that she went to see how things were around Alcamoth. To look for survivors.” he explained. “You know she has nightmares, you're the one who told me, and I witnessed them the other night. She can barely withstand mentions of her home. She needs closure. Only going there herself can give her what she needs.”

“And what if she decides that she does not want to come back, uh? What then?” she pressed.

Dunban could not deny that he had thought about it. When Melia had told him that she would talk to Vanea and Shulk right away, he had been afraid, for the tiniest moment, that he was losing her forever. It had been brief, though, and now his brain promptly reminded him that she had never actually been his. She was just a friend. A friend that he cherished above anyone else, that he trusted more than anyone else, that he found incredibly beautiful and smart and strong and brave...

“Then she won't.” He said, interrupting his dangerous train of thought. “She was raised to rule an empire. If there are still High Entia that want her as a leader, it's only natural for her to step up and take her rightful place.”

Dunban had an idea of what was getting Fiora so worked up over Melia's trip. He knew that Fiora had seen them very close two nights earlier. He had tried to clarify right away that nothing was going on between them, but she had quickly dismissed him. Now she was clearly drawing the wrong conclusions.

“You are letting her go. Why won't you let yourself be happy for once!?” Fiora slammed her palm on the table.

“Fiora, stop this please.” He said, trying to conjure his best big brother tone. “I am not letting her do anything. She chose this for herself. I just want her to be happy because I am her friend. I gave her advice and she accepted it. It's as simple as that.” Maybe if he said it loud enough he would finally believe it himself.

“You don't get it, do you?” Fiora asked, losing her patience. “It is not that simple. You did let her go, without offering to accompany her, without telling her how you feel. If she doesn't come back, you may lose her forever. How can you not understand?” Fiora pleaded.

“I don't know what you are talking about.” he denied.

“The Bionis' ass you don't!” she exclaimed. 

Taken aback by her creative profanity, Dunban simply looked at her for a few seconds. “Would you please lower your voice? I don't want the whole colony to hear you.” He whispered.

“At least you've stopped denying the evidence!” she said, pointing her index at his face.

“Do you want some romantic, tear-wrenching confession from me?” he asked in a mocking tone, clenching his jaw. Fiora did not flinch and just kept levelling him with a deathly stare. Then she lifted an eyebrow, challenging him to continue. He sighed, there was no lying to her anymore.

“I will not deny that I would suffer if she decided not to come back. Her presence here brings me much joy. But I will never stop her from reaching her goals. She is a born leader, she will never be happy away from her people. I am her friend, first and foremost, and I respect her before anything else.” he concluded, hoping that his sister would finally let it go.

“That was the coldest and most diplomatic confession I have ever heard.” Fiora observed with a slightly disgusted expression on her face. “Please choose your words more carefully when you decide to talk to her. She deserves it, after the year she's had.” Fiora took a sip of her coffee, seemingly placated for the time being.

Dunban knew that he should not reawaken the sleeping dragon of his sister's rage, but... Maybe he needed to talk about this. He had a feeling that Sharla had noticed his growing fondness for Melia, but she had never brought it up in any of their conversations. Sharla probably knew that he would have denied it to the end of the world. Now though, that Melia was far away across the sea, and there was the distinct possibility that she would decide to stay there, Dunban felt the need to share rise in his chest. He didn't usually manifest his feelings, keeping up his hero persona most of the time, but Fiora... She was his sister. And apparently she knew almost everything already, stars help him.

“You talk as if I would ever do that...” he finally answered bitterly.

Fiora lifted her eyes from her coffee, studying his face. He found that he could not hold her judging gaze and looked down at the table.

“I'm sorry if I attacked you, Dunban. I'm just worried about you. I have never seen you like this before, so of course I... let's say I hope that you will tell her how you feel. At some point, before it's too late.” She explained.

“Do you really think I should?” he was incredulous, to say the least. He knew that Fiora was a romantic at heart, but honestly? Did she really believe that he and Melia should be together? Yes, she had definitely warmed up to him, but...

“Of course! I'm sure she likes you as well. You must have noticed.” Fiora sounded very smug as she wiggled her eyebrows at him. 

“She is three times my age.” Dunban pointed out.

“And yet she still looks in her early twenties!”

“And she still will when I'll be old and useless!” he countered.

“Ugh, how can you be so unromantic? Perhaps there is a solution to that. Or even if there isn't, she knows how Homs work. She knows we age differently. You should at least give her a chance to decide for herself if she wants to be with you or not.” He hated to admit it, but Fiora had a point. The fact that he would likely be old and decrepit while she still looked in her thirties was something Melia would have to deal with as well. She should get a say in it.

“And what if she takes her throne back? What if she has to take two consorts?” That was something he wasn't sure he could survive. Letting her go and be free? Yes. Seeing her with someone else? Difficult, but yes, if she was happy. Seeing her with someone else while they were together though... that would be where he drew the line, he thought suppressing a shiver of discomfort.

“There's no need for that anymore! There's no Zanza to turn High Entia into Telethia. I'm sure she'll be allowed to marry whoever she wants, even if she claims back her throne. And by the way, look at how far you've come, thinking about the wedding already. Do you think she'll ask me to be her maid of honour?” she added with a sly glint in her eyes.

“You seem to have thought about this quite a lot...” Dunban observed, trying to save face by ignoring her last comment. 

“What can I say? I am the smart one in this family and you know it.” She answered pursing her lips and crossing her arms over her chest.

He smiled to himself. He did feel lighter after all. Talking to Fiora about this whole situation had definitely been the right decision.

“I guess now I just have to wait and see.” He said with a sigh.

“I guess so, brother!” she exclaimed happily, rising from her chair and putting her cup in the sink, “Just please don't mope if she doesn't come back. Be proactive. Go get the girl! She hasn't endured your cluelessness for months just to leave you before you finally confess your feelings!” she finished with a clap on his shoulder as she went back into her room and shut the door behind her.

“I do not mope!” he shouted at the closed door. Fiora did not answer, obviously. She had already gotten the last word.

Endured his cluelessness for months... He thought about Fiora's words as he finished his breakfast and as he got ready for work. Had Melia really been giving signs of interest towards him that he hadn't picked up? Had Melia told Sharla or, even worse, Fiora about it? Was it just so plain to see that his sister had noticed on her own? 

He thought about Fiora's passing comments on his dates with Melia. In a way their outings could have been considered dates, he knew that as well. Having drinks together, walking on the beach, sometimes having dinner on their own... Calling them dates seemed childish to him, but if she had perceived their time together that way he could admit that he had acted pretty clueless about it.

In a nightmarish scenario, he imagined Melia confiding in Sharla or Fiora about how he kept inviting her out but never made a move. He cringed at the thought. There was no time to waste on such theories, if he wanted to understand he needed to stick to the facts. 

As he walked towards the Reconstruction HQ, he noticed that there was indeed a lot of evidence against him. Melia often wanted to spend time with him, alone. She encouraged physical contact and what from her should probably be considered a shameless public display of affection, like holding hands, taking his arm as they walked... she had even rested her head on his shoulder quite a few times, sitting so close to him that he could feel the outline of her body against his arm and leg and her wings caressing his back, making him feel as if his heart had leapt out of his chest.

Two nights before she had let him hug her, and there had been that moment when she had seemed just a breath away from closing the gap between their lips.

She always remembered his favourite drink, she made sure he never touched alcohol, she knew how he took his coffee and his tea.

Whenever he felt a bit down she always managed to appear at his side, to let him vent and distract him, just like he tried to do with her. And all this time he had thought she was just being friendly... except he was pretty confident that he was the only object of these kinds of attention. 

He had officially been an idiot for the longest time. 

He had thought that a realisation like this one would hurt him, but he actually felt relieved. Talking to her would probably be easier than he had initially thought. Strong in this conviction, he managed to be relatively productive during his day at work, feeling determined and quite relaxed.

When at sunset he discovered that there was no sign of Junks in the radars, though, he started to worry. Riki and Oka were worried out of their minds because their children Kino and Nene were missing as well. While they were sure that Shulk and Melia would keep them safe, not having news was not really easing their minds. Things did not get better as Melia and Shulk did not come back or reach out to them that night, or the following day.

As time went by, Dunban grew restless. Fiora, on the other hand, seemed very comfortable with the fact that her boyfriend had disappeared. When confronted about it, she simply answered that she trusted him.

On a purely rational level, Dunban knew that there was probably nothing in the whole world strong enough to put Melia and Shulk in danger. He had seen their battle prowess many times, and the fact that they were accompanied by Kino and Nene was actually comforting since they were very young but still quite strong and not at all helpless on the battlefield. 

On an emotional level though, it was a completely different matter. He worried for Shulk and Riki's littlepons of course, but he worried a lot for Melia. With each passing day, his feelings for her simmered in his chest and the need to see her, talk to her, explain his feelings started to dull his brain during his waking hours and infest his dreams at night.

He also had a feeling that Sharla was keeping everyone from teasing him to the end of time, if the glares she sent to Fiora and Reyn were anything to go by. 

Dunban was both annoyed and grateful for this. Annoyed because it meant that finally everyone had caught on with his situation and grateful because since Sharla's glares often hurt even more than her rifle, Fiora and Reyn held back from drilling him with questions and gibes. Riki was a little harder to keep in check, but most of the time he had his hands full trying to cheer up and console Oka, who was growing more restless and worried by the day as their littlepons didn't come back.

After two weeks, people started looking at him with pity at work. Dunban hated to admit it, but he was afraid to ask why. He reached the peak of embarrassment when one day after a meeting Otharon told him that if he needed some time to himself to recover, he could most certainly take it. Too surprised to ask what the hell he was on about, Dunban simply looked at the man as he clasped his shoulder, gave him a sad smile and left him sitting there at the table. So that night after dinner, he knocked at Fiora's door to ask her if she knew what was going on.

“Come in!” he heard her answer. 

He entered his sister's room to find her lounging on her bed reading a book. He went to sit at her desk and said nothing. She lifted her eyes from the book and studied him for a few seconds.

“Is everything okay? You look... stressed.” She observed.

“Do you know why everyone at work is treating me like I am... I don't know, broken?” Fiora sighed and massaged her temples with her fingers. He did not like it. She seemed to be looking for a painless way to deliver a painful truth.

“Do you remember when I teased you about your not-dates with Melia?” she asked abruptly.

“I do. And I remember you pointing out that she may have seen them as dates as well and that I had been clueless.” 

“Dunban, everyone thought you two were dating. Everyone.” she interjected, “And now everyone thinks she left you.”

Dunban just sat there, looking at his sister as if she had grown a second head.

“They thought we were dating?” he whispered quietly.

“You have to admit, it wasn't a strained deduction. You left HQ hand in hand every other day, you bought her dinner at least once a week, you took long walks on the beach...” she listed, counting on her fingers, “and now she's gone and you're here.”

“Yes, I know what happened. But we were not together. We are not together.” 

Fiora shrugged. “I know that. But how do you think it looks from the outside?”

Dunban ran his hand through his hair and leaned back on the chair, feeling defeated.

“So I just have to deal with people pitying me?” he asked.

“It's gonna stop eventually, don't worry.” Fiora reassured him with a smile.

“That does not help much...” He stood up and went to the door, but then he turned around to ask Fiora something else.

“Why aren't you being treated like me? You and Shulk are together, it would make sense.”

“He has no reason to stay in Alcamoth, he will come back. It's not the same for Melia.” She added, a sad glint in her eyes.

“Not you as well! Stop looking at me like that.”

Fiora laughed. “Don't worry, I was just teasing you. I know she hasn't really left you and I'm sure you'll solve this.”

He wanted to remind her that of course Melia had not left him, they were not together in the first place, but he thought that somehow it would not help his case. He simply left Fiora's room muttering a thank you hoping to avoid more teasing.

So he endured the pitying looks at the HQ, trying to work twice as hard to convince everyone that he was fine. Except he really wasn't.

As the third week without news drew to an end, even Fiora started to show signs of concern about Shulk and Melia's disappearance. As time went by, she had started spending more and more time contemplating the horizon from their house, eyes peeled for any sign of Junks. 

For Dunban, on the other hand, it had been three whole weeks of heartache, worry, and pitying looks from colleagues, and he was pretty sure he was losing his mind.

He woke up one morning, twenty-four days after Melia had left, not that he had been counting, determined to steal a ship and go see what had happened himself.

He got dressed in his most comfortable corporal attire, armed himself and reached the hangar in the military district. He was about to sneak into one of the smaller pods to take off when he heard a couple of Machina doing maintenance talking about Junks finally landing at the beach.

“Melia...” he whispered to himself, before bolting right back out of the hangar and heading towards the beach.

He ran like hell, hoping to arrive before the ship landed. When he finally reached the beach, slightly out of breath, he heard Fiora even before he saw her.

“Well you should have found a way to let us know! We were worried sick!” she was up in Shulk's face, screaming, fists clenched at her sides. Dunban was ready to witness the fight of the century, but his sister threw her arms around Shulk's shoulders with a sob, hiding her face in his neck. As Shulk embraced Fiora and placed a kiss on her hair, Dunban averted his gaze.

He noticed Oka giving Kino and Nene a tearful piece of her mind, while Riki tried to intercede for their brave children. No sign of Melia though. He felt his chest tighten. Looking around, feeling a bit lost, he didn't even notice Shulk approaching him and handing him an envelope.

“Dunban! Are you listening?” Fiora all but yelled at him, waving her hands in front of his face.

“Sorry... You were saying?” he asked, shaking his head and looking at his sister. While she still looked a bit shaken, Shulk's return had clearly already done wonders. It had been days since she had sounded so energetic. Shulk was clearly trying to hold back a laugh, as he waved the envelope he was holding before handing it to him.

“Melia told me to give you this. I don't know what's in it, just that I had to give it to you right away... Why have you dressed for war anyway?” Shulk asked with a sly grin pointing at his armour and the sword at his side.

Dunban took the envelope in his hand and turned it around, not answering. He probably should read it on his own, at home. As if in a trance, he turned on his heels and walked back towards his house without saying goodbye. He was sure that Fiora would find a way to explain why he was acting that way without revealing too much. Assuming Oka and Riki needed explanations or that Melia hadn't already told Shulk what was going through her mind while they were away.

Upon arriving home, he went straight upstairs to his room, where he placed his sword against the wall and sat on the bed still fully dressed to open the envelope. Even his left hand was shaking as he pulled out the letter and was greeted by Melia's elegant handwriting. Inhaling to steel himself, he began to read.

_Dearest Dunban,  
I know I should start this letter with an apology. Leaving you without saying goodbye and not even coming back to tell you about my travel in person is inexcusable. I am confident that recounting at least a small part of what has happened to me will help you understand why I have acted this way and perhaps you will decide to give me a chance to talk face to face._

Dunban scoffed. He knew he had a temper, but he had never been able to hold a grudge against Melia for long, and he was pretty sure that she knew it as well.

_While Shulk looked for a place to land on the Bionis' shoulder, a beam of ether from Alcamoth shot us down, damaging Junks' engine and communication system. That is how we ended up stranded in a never before seen land, accompanied only by Riki's children. Close to the place where we had to perform an emergency landing, we found a camp of High Entia survivors. They did not recognise me, of course, but even just seeing them... Dunban, words cannot explain the feelings that exploded in my chest. They were my people, they had been cast out from the capital by an unknown entity they had named Fog King. It was my duty to help them. It was my duty to reclaim the capital. With Teelan and Tyrea's help (would you believe that?), we managed to acquire some important intel on the entities occupying Alcamoth. They guided us to another refugee camp closer to the former location of Eryth Sea. There, Machina, Homs and High Entia lived in peace, trying to gain enough strength to defeat the Fog King. We joined forces with them and the other survivors. Radzam, an amazing Machina engineer, provided me and Shulk with new weapons, more effective against this new enemy than the ones we had. When we meet, I will tell you everything in greater detail. I can only imagine, being the amazing warrior that you are, how you are itching to know more. I am sure Tyrea will happily provide you with notes about the new enemies we've had to face._

He smiled at that. She really knew him well. Of course, he was curious to know more about this Fog King, the other weird creature they had fought and these amazing new weapons. But working with Tyrea? Well, he didn't know about that.

_I would write more about my adventures here, but there is much to be done to restore the capital. For now, I will only say that I have missed you greatly these past weeks we have spent apart. Sometimes I feel like I cannot convey how much I enjoy the time we spend together. If you will give me another chance by visiting me here, I will endeavour to prove it to you. I am forever grateful for the way you pushed me to pursue my destiny. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me for being so distant, because I would happily welcome you in Alcamoth for as long as you may want to stay... even if it is only long enough to hear more about what happened. We have restored the transporters and I am currently residing at the Villa again. I really do hope you will decide to come to visit me. If you do, you will find me waiting. I still miss you greatly._  
_Yours,_  
_Melia_

Dunban read the letter again, and then once more for good measure. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate as the meaning of her words sunk in.

She wanted him to go there. She missed him. She believed that she had not been clear enough in expressing how she enjoyed being with him and she wanted to prove that to him.

Placing the paper at his side on the bed, he brought his hand to his face to scratch his jaw pensively. Her letter certainly sounded like a bit more than a friendly invite. It sounded like a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading <3  
> See you Sunday!


	4. Intermezzo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had A LOT of fun writing this. It just would not leave my head, so I had to include it in some way.
> 
> You already know it, big thanks to TheRoseDuelist for her amazing work as a beta reader for this story! Every mistake you may find is mine.  
> I hope you enjoy this stupid interlude :D

_Two days earlier - Imperial Villa, Alcamoth_

“What are you doing?”

“Writing a letter.”

“To whom?”

“I would say it does not concern you, but then you would just pester me even more.”

“So?”

“...A friend.”

“A male friend?”

“...”

“Do I know him?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. He defeated you when you were trying to murder me at the Tomb. And he was at Colony 6 as well when we helped you and you escaped.”

“Such lovely memories! Which one is it? No, wait, let me guess. It cannot be the one that is with you now... Oh, I know! Long dark hair, green eyes, broad shoulders, fights shirtless...”

“Tyrea-”

“It is him! I knew it! What are you writing to him?”

“Well, nothing, since you keep interrupting me.”

“What would you be writing if I left you in peace?”

“I want to invite him here... to talk.”

“Boring.”

“...”

“Why wasn't he the one to accompany you?”

“I... I am not sure.”

“Do I have to kill him? It is my sworn duty to protect you and the throne, I'll kill him if you ask me to.”

“Thank you, but I hope it will not be necessary. And I am not sure you could.”

“So he likes you as well.”

“You are so childish.”

“Well, does he?”

“...”

“How can you not know? Haven't you been living with him for a year?”

“...”

“Did you tell him you have feelings for him?”

“...”

“Did you go out with him?”

“In a way.”

“Did you two kiss?”

“...No.”

“Boring.”

“What do you even know about these things? Weren't you raised as an assassin of the Order?”

“You'd be surprised. Why haven't you told him how you feel?”

“It just... There was never the occasion.”

“You were afraid.”

“Maybe I was.”

“Not anymore, I hope.”

“Not anymore.”

“I am curious to meet him. He must be quite the Homs to have gained your favour. The fact that he fights half-naked is certainly-”

“I told you, you have met him already.”

“Well, then I am curious to meet him when he is not trying to kill me.”

“He had his reasons.”

“I cannot deny that.”

“Will you leave me be and let me write now?”

“Of course, Melia. Write away.”

“Thank you.”

“...”

“...”

“Should I leave the Villa for a couple of days when he gets here? I'm sure you'll need time and space to show him-”

“Tyrea!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll see you Thursday for the conclusion :)


	5. Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooorry. I know it's not Thursday in any part of the world anymore, but it's been a weird week :D  
> I also wanted to have another story ready by now, but I have absolutely nothing except three unfinished projects and a lot of bunnies for different fandoms lol  
> So yeah, I don't know when I'll be back.  
> One last time, big big thanks to [ TheRoseDuelist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseDuelist/pseuds/TheRoseDuelist) for betaing this. It's been a good ride :)
> 
> Any mistake you may find is mine, because I rushed to publish it today :D

Sparing one last glance at the letter, Dunban stood up and started pacing, allowing his thoughts to finally run free. He had been worried and afraid for so many days. Worried for Melia's safety, afraid that he had ruined their friendship. Reading her letter had really relieved him, but now he found himself a bit... stuck.

Maybe he should ask for Fiora or Sharla's advice on what to do. After all, it was clear that he hadn't been very good at interpreting Melia's signals. Fiora had already pointed out that he had been oblivious of Melia's interest and her affections for months, so obviously she thought that Melia was interested.

Trying to analyse the situation, he wondered what his following steps would be. Heading to Alcamoth was the first thing to do, to show Melia that he was not offended by her extended leave and silence. Then, he would have to talk to her, finally talk to her and he would have to pick the words carefully.

He needed to explain how he felt, why he had never made a move in any of their supposed dates, why he had let her leave without him in the first place.

He stilled, running his hand through his hair and looking at his side, where the picture on the nightstand looked right back at him. He grabbed it to look at it more closely. It was a beautiful picture of his whole patchwork family plus Linada and Vanea, taken by Talonyth at the celebratory dinner for Fiora's return from the Regeneration Chamber. He remembered the night he and Melia had picked it and set it in the frame, sitting together on his bed. He noticed how Melia was leaning towards him in the picture, her left wing brushing lightly against his right shoulder. He probably hadn't even felt it at the time... How could he have been so blind for so long?

He cursed his trauma and his insecurities for making him so oblivious of his luck. 

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he realised that he had to get a move on if he wanted to get to Alcamoth in time for lunch. Doubts assailed his mind again. Was it too desperate to go there right away? Should he wait a while to make a grand entrance? 

He didn't know what the right thing was, he only knew that he did not have the strength to wait any longer.

He put the frame back on his nightstand and packed a small duffel bag before strapping his faithful Wyvern Cutlass back at his waist and running down the stairs. He was hoping he would not have to face Fiora or the others on his way out, but there she was, eating pastries with Shulk, Reyn and Sharla and looking very smug.

“Leaving already brother?” she inquired, “Finally realised what you need to do?” she finished with a giggle. Shulk was looking between him and Fiora, a knowing expression on his face. Reyn was thankfully too busy stuffing his face to intervene, because Sharla seemed to have run out of deadly glares to save him, focusing on her coffee instead, and giving Fiora's gibes free rein.

“Tell me, what did Melia have to write to finally make you see reason?” his sister asked, eyes glinting mischievously.

“I think the exact words were none of Fiora's business.” He answered. Fiora looked outraged, Shulk laughed out loud. Dunban smiled and turned around to leave, adjusting his duffel over his back.

“I doubt Melia wrote that!” he heard Reyn whisper to Sharla, causing her to explode in a loud laugh as well.

“Good luck!” Fiora screamed at him as he closed the door.

So, for the second time that day, he walked towards the hangar to find a transport. Had it really just been two hours since he was there for the first time? He had been so anxious that morning and in a way he still was, except now instead of being sneaking around grimly determined to go save Melia he was feeling almost elated, confident that his life was about to change for the better.

The trip passed in a blink, he was so focused on the speech he would give Melia once they were together. He wondered if he should start by apologising for not offering to go with her. Or maybe he should start by telling her how he had missed her instead. 

Should he have found a gift to bring to her? Oh, stars, he should have, how could he have been so stupid? No one went to talk to a lady (Empress?) without a gift. Stupid, stupid brute.

He doubted there were already flower shops open in Alcamoth and he had no idea of what the devastation brought by this Fog King had done to the city gardens. If he could find at least a single wild Stardrop to gift to her... He remembered that she thought it was the most beautiful flower in the world, so beautiful that even he would have liked it.

He noticed that he hadn't even changed clothes. He was going to visit Melia at the imperial city dressed in one of his old armours. He thought about changing now and wearing the civilian clothes he had stuck in the duffel bag, but the single passenger pod was too small, and his damn arm made it hard for him to change in closed spaces, so the armour would have to do.

As he went back to manual control to land the pod, he decided to try and quiet his brain, focusing on the necessary manoeuvres to land safely. It wasn't like he could change much about anything at the moment.

It was about lunchtime when he got out of his transport and asked a young High Entia guard where he had to go to reach the Villa.

“Mister Dunban?” he heard a youthful voice call out to him. Excusing himself from the guard and turning around, he saw a boy (Teelan, his mind helpfully supplied) run towards him.

“It really is you! Are you here to visit Miss Melia? We did not expect you so early!” He exclaimed.

“I am sorry, Teelan... I... I have to admit that I did not want to wait.” He heard his voice say.

“I think I understand... I doubt Miss Melia wanted to wait to see you either. Let me escort you to the Villa.” the boy offered with a smile.

“Thank you, it is much appreciated.” Dunban answered. He let Teelan talk his ears off on the way to the Villa. Everything was a welcome distraction from what he was about to do.

He didn't even have a flower, the gardens at the city entrance were still in ruins and once they entered the palace and headed to the transporters he abandoned all hope to find a gift for Melia.

His mood a bit dampened, he walked into the greenish light behind his young guide, trying to gather his thoughts. Stepping back out of the transporting beam, he was greeted by sunlight and a view of the slightly ruined Imperial Villa.

“Sis! Do you know where Miss Melia is? Mister Dunban is here!” Teelan yelled, running out of the transporter's platform of the Villa.

_Sis?_ Dunban wondered who Teelan could be referring to. He remembered that he had lost his mother when she had turned into a Telethia, but he did not remember any sisters.

“Oh, it's you.” said a sour female voice. Tyrea was standing a couple of meters in front of him, arms crossed on her chest, daggers secured at her hips. She looked at him as if she wanted to cut him open and look into his brain. He felt a bit... exposed.

“Not what you were expecting?” he asked, lifting his chin defiantly.

“No, no, you are exactly who I was expecting!” she drawled, walking closer to him and looking up and down his body. “Came running to her and all, packed a bag to stay awhile... Cannot say I know what she sees in you, but-”

“Tyrea do not say another word!”

The former assassin rolled her eyes and snickered at Melia's interruption, but Dunban barely noticed, because Melia was there and she looked... Different, yet the same. Stronger, more confident, but more open in a way. She was wearing a dark dress he had never seen before, and the black and gold made her look... regal, for lack of a better word.

She had a tiny smile on her lips and the sun was making her eyes shine in the way Dunban loved so much.

“You came.” She whispered, addressing him. He didn't know what magic made him hear her so clearly from meters away when her voice seemed so low.

“I did.” He started, feeling suddenly embarrassed, “I am sorry, I should have brought you something, some flowers, or-”

“I'll go and vomit before I stay here to witness this go any further. Come along squirt, we'll look for some lunch down at the camp. And then for some dinner as well, just to be sure.” Tyrea interrupted, planting her hands on Teelan's shoulders and piloting him away towards the transporter.

Melia hid her giggle behind her palm, and Dunban found that he did not know what had happened to make her feel this at ease, but in his eyes, she was more perfect than ever.

After he heard the sound of the transporter going off he started speaking.

“Melia, I...”

“Dunban, I...” she said at the same time. He smiled and she giggled again.

“Ladies first.” he offered. She nodded.

“I would be honoured if you would join me for lunch. I believe we have much to talk about.”

When he nodded, because he did not trust his voice to answer, she slipped her right hand in his left, interlacing their fingers, and guided him towards the Villa. 

The scenery was still quite sombre, so different from before the war, but he could tell that the restoration activities were already starting. Some of the glass panels surrounding the Villa had been removed, probably because they had been broken, but the pathway had obviously been recently cleaned, just like some parts of the garden.

“So... how have you been these past weeks?” she questioned as they walked.

“I'd say worried, more than anything. I found it difficult to focus on my job at times. I... I was afraid that not asking to accompany you could have made you feel unwanted. I want you to know that I regret not coming with you. I should have been at your side.” he explained. Dunban felt quite proud of himself. He was managing to convey his feelings eloquently, for a change.

She hummed, pondering his words.

“I have to admit, I often found myself wishing I had you by my side as well. Shulk... he is a good friend and an invaluable ally, but you... You must have realised by now that you are more than that, to me.” He looked at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. She had a slight blush on her cheeks, but her voice was firm and determined and her eyes harboured a fire he had never seen before.

“You have changed.” he immediately cringed at his own words, that didn't sound right at all.

“For the better, I hope?” she asked in a cheeky tone, not missing a beat.

“I did not think it possible, but yes.” That was better, he thought, and now she was definitely blushing.

“Hero of the Homs, I did not know you were such a sweet talker!” she said laughing and squeezing his hand a bit harder.

He gently pulled on her hand to stop her and she turned around, seemingly surprised.

“I am not. I really thought you were already perfect, even before. Yet with every passing day, you surprised me. And now... Now I am not sure of what I should do.” he whispered, burying his eyes into hers and stepping closer, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

“If you do not stop this, we may not make it to lunch.” Now she had lowered her voice as well. She was clearly trying to keep her tone light, but he could tell she was intrigued by the direction their dialogue was taking. She placed her right hand on his chest and her wings fluttered.

“I see nothing wrong with that.”

“But the imperial chef would be absolutely devastated. He just got reinstated yesterday!” she observed in a mock outraged tone.

“Then you should try and make me stop, Empress.” he challenged, lifting his chin to look down on her. She bit her lower lip and looked conflicted for a second.

Then she stood on the tips of her toes, let the hand resting on his chest sneak up behind his head and through his hair and kissed him on the lips. His brain shut down, his heart somersaulted, his eyes blinked incredulously a couple of times before his lids finally slipped close as her nimble fingers massaged the nape of his neck and she sucked on his lower lip to give it a gentle bite, before pulling back from him.

He inhaled deeply, trying to get some air into his lungs, as he opened his eyes to watch her standing down giving him a cheeky smile. 

“It seems I have been successful.” she left him a few seconds to answer, but when he simply stood there dumbfounded, she continued “So, about this lunch?” and pulled at his hand and took a step towards the Villa.

Still not completely able to process what had happened, he simply followed. Dunban was convinced that from that moment on, wherever Melia led him, he would be sure to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!  
> Not super proud of this one. I'm not good with endings, not when I'm reading, not when I'm writing. Still, I hope you enjoyed :)  
> See you for the next one, whenever it may be :)


End file.
